Power-reverse gear



UNITED STATES PATENT oEErcE.

. JACOB BUSH SNYDER AND HARRY W. FLEMING, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNORS T0 PERCY E. DONNER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

POWER-REVERSE GEAR.

To all whom. it may concern: y

Be it known that we, JACOB RUSH SNrnEu and Hanny W. FLEMING, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Pittsburgh,

in the-county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement in PowerReverse (Slears,4 of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to power reverse gears, and particularly to powermechanism for reversing and controlling the valve mechanism oi?locomotives.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved power reverse gearwhich may Still a further object is to provide a reverse gear having afriction lock, which type has been found to be the most eicient anddesirable. so constructed as to automatically adjust itself tocompensate for wear .in

service. l

Other objects and advantages'ivill appear il. from the followingspecification. 35:y

An embodiment of the invention is shown in thlc accompanying drawings,the views of which are as follows:

Figure. 1 is a side elevation and partial gross section of the powerreverse gear as it is applied to a locomotive.

Figui-.2 is a. plan view, showing in detail the mechanical connectionsbetween the reueusiug rod and the valve. mechauisnl.

el* 3 'vis a cross section of the valvular lncchanisni for controllingthe motive fluid to\ the filid pressure motor and the lock. This sectionis on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with the itl ve membeis in the positionshown in Fig. 9 and the section through them ou the line/343 of Fig. 9.

Fig/,t is a cross section of a portion of the Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 2o, 1919.

Application filed March 26, 1917. Serial No 157,423.

valvular mechanism, showing the valve meinbers in the positionillustrated in Fig. 8, the section being taken on the line 4-1 of Fig.8. Fig. 5 is a cross section of the graduating rotary element of thevalve.

Fig. 6 is a plan of the main rotary elementof the valve. Fig. 7 is aplan View of the valve seat.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the valve seat,-

main rotary and graduating rotary, showing their relative relation whenthe valve is in neutral position.`

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 8, with the main rotary moved toactuate the reverse gear in one direction.

Fig. 10 is 'a view similar to Fiff. 9 with the main rotary moved tooperate the reverse gear inthe opposite direction, and

' Fig. 11 is a cross section of the lock, showing the automatic.-compensating means therefor.

The reversing gear includes in its general structure aiuid pressuremotor 1, operating areversiug rod. 2, a fluid pressure lock 3, avalvular mechanism et for controlling the motive fluid to and from themotor and the lock, a manualcontiolling means 5 for oper- 'rating'. the`valvular,nieclianisrn, and connections comprlsing 1n this instance arod 6 and associated parts for connecting the reversing rod and thevalvular mechanism so as to automatically return the mechanism toneutra] position after the rod has moved the required extent.,` l

'The finid pressure motor comprises a eol power cylinder 7 in whichoperates a piston 8 connectedto a piston rod 9 attached to the' 'crosshead 10`to which the reversing rod 2 is fastened. The'cross head 10slides on a bar 11 which maybe attached to the cylinder or otherwisesuitably supported. The motor is actuated -to lnove the reversing rod tothe right. viewed in Fig. 1. by exhausting Huid pressure from theright-hand end of the cylinder through the -pipe 19., thereby permittingthev Huid pressure in the left-hand end of the cylinder` which ressureis maintained by being connected) with the fluid pressure supply throughthe pipe 13, to move the. piston to the. right. The, motor operates inthe-reverse direction'by exhaustingr fluid pressure through the pipe 13so as to permit vthe pressure in the right-hand end of the @cylinder tomove the piston to the left.

The fluid pressure lock 3 is preferably located adjacent the powercylinder and arranged-to grip the piston rod 9. II n this in'- stance aportion of thelock `is formed integral with the cylinder and thisportion comprises a member formed integral with the cylinder 7 andarranged to engage 'one side of the piston rod 9. T he lock also has amovable element comprising a'pivoted lever l"16, one end .of whichcarries a friction' grip or braking surface 17 made of asbestoscomposition or the like, and the other end of which carries a set screw18 engaged bya movable abutment 19 arranged to be actuated by fluidpressure in the chamv ber 2O formed between Sthefstationary member 15of. the' lock and a complementary memberQL Fluid pressure is supplied toAthelock through a pipe 22 connected to the valvularmechanism 3 whichalso controls the 'motive fluid to the power cylinder` When pressure isadmitted through the pipe 22 to the chamber 20, the abutment'll' is ventoperationv of the lock and under ab- I normal strains the piston rod maybe moved without breaking any part of theinecha.-

msm.

The force. with which the lock is applied may be adjusted by varying theposition ofi the set screw 18 inthe louterend of member 16. Such setscrew should be adjusted whenthe reversing gear is put into operation soas toc-euse the lock to Work properly, but very frequently thisadjustment is' carelessly made and moreover after the revers-.

ing gear is operated for a considerableA period, the friction surface 17may `wem; so. as

' to require re-adjustment of the lock. Such .re-adjustment maybeoverlooked in 'inspection of the mechanism and in order to avoid anydifficulties arising from improper setf" ting or from wear in service,means has been provided for automati'cally\ adjusting the setscrew' `1 8to proper position. This means comprises a spring 23 attached at one end'to the set screw 18 and at its other end .t'o a casing 24'which housesthe. spring 'and carries a prjeetion 25 engaginga pin 36 carried by't'he lever 16.* 'This springhas.' suliiclentjtension to turn theset-'screw to' cause it to engage the abutment; 19 and thefsurface 17wears, to continually keep' thefset screw in engagement with theabutinent The spring thus automatically adju'sts the lock when themechanism is first applied and thereaftercompensates for any wear thatmay occur in service. .i The result is that the lock requiresnoattention.

The power-cylinder, its operative parts including the cross head andreversing rods and the Huid pressure lock, constitutes a unit which maybe readily positioned 'on a locomotive either on the side ot' theboiler.

beneath the' cab or, in large locomotives, farther forward and closer iothe valve links. The valvular mechanism 4 for the reverse gear islocated on the side of the lire box beneath the cab, the deck of whichis shown at 27 in F ig. 1. This valve may besupported by a bracket 28attached to the side of t'he fire box 29, as illustrated in Fig. It is,of course, to be understood that the valve and thepower cylinder may besupported in any suitable manner, but the valve is located beneath thecab where it is out .of the way and .preferably the power cylinderisalso located beneatlrthecab so that theconnections between thereversing rod and the valve and between the power cylinder and theAvalve may be easily7 made. In such case, the 4reversing rod eXtendsforward to the valves of the locomotive. ,'Where it is necessary tolocate the power cylinder farther forward, the reversing rod is, ofcourse, shorter and the connections between the power cylinder and thevalve longer. The manual controlling means 5 for oper-v ating thevalvular mechanism 4 is veryv simple and occupies a minimum' amount ot"space in the-cab. It comprisesl a disk 30 having a plurality o 'teeth311011 its' lower side and nearits outer edge. This' disk may besupported in anysuitable way, as for example, by means of a bracket 32attached to the side of the fire box. `A connecting -rod 38 is`journaled in the diskand connect` ed, atits lower end bymeans-of apinand slot or other suitable eonnectio'n'M tol the valve and at its yupperend to a lever 35 havl ing a handle 36 in which is positioned a relbiprocating'thinb'latch 37 having a-dog 3S- normally biased intoengagement with the teethv in the 3Q by means-0f a spring 39.' Thelvalvej4-'-is controlled by simply operating the thumbA latch androtating tho handle in ieither a forward or a reverse direction and to4an extent corresponding to the desired movement of the reverse-gear.The' construction 1s sunple and 1t provides 'a maximum/numberofpositions .for the controlling handle without'requiring'a largespaceinwhichto move such handle. v

' The valvular mechanism 4l includes a valve seat' l10formingthe topportion en -v the motive liuid supply through a pipe 43 shown in Fig. 2.Rotating on this valve seat and located in the chamber l2 is amainrotary member la and rotating on the main rotary is a graduating rotary45. The -main rotary is maintained in engagement with the valve seat andthe graduating'rotary is lmaintained in lengagement with the main rotaryby the fluid pressure which is pres ent at all times in the chamber 42in t-he valve casing. 'In addition, these members are biased intoengagement with each other by a s ring 46 which engages the bottom ofthe vi v'e casing and the graduating rotary The main rotary has a hollowhub 47 extending through the valve seat and connected toa gear 48' thatmeshes with a rack 49 connected to the reach rod 6 thatV is attac-hed tothe crosshead l0. The main ro tary thus moves in synchronism with thereversing rod. TheIl graduating rotary has a hollow hub or stn'i 50extending through the huh vof the main rotary and connected to a sleeve51, lwhich is rotated by the connecting rod 33 from the manualvoperating means The` graduating rotary isthus directly under thecontrol the operator and may be actuated by hi i foi' operating thercversegearMThe slee e 51 has an extension 52, c'afrying: apin 53arranged to engage projo-tions '54 :in vt e form of pins so as to-liniithe movement of the graduat ing rotary l., relative to th main rotary.There are Itivo of these pins so as to limit the movement in'rbothdirections, as shown in Fig.2. 'f 4 i.

The valve seat 40 has three concentric grooves or recesses 55,' 56 and57, and three" ports 58 59 land60 and a through passage Gl in whichispcsitioned the hub of the main rotary.r vThe port 58 communicates withthe groove 55 in the valve seat and with Va passage- 62 Iin ,the 'yalvecasing to which .is connected the pipe 13 leadingto the left-hand endof. the power cylinder. The port 59 communicates with the groove `56 inthe valve seat and has connected there-1 to the pipe 12 leading to theright-hand end of the cylinde The port 60 communicates with the recess457 in the valve seatjand'hasfonlpected thereto the pipe 22 leading tothe The main 'rotary has three concentric grooves or recesses 63, 64 and65 complemental to the grooves in the valve seat. These grooves areshown in dotted VVlines in, Fig. 6 and are on the bottom face of therotary as there illustrated. The bottonrface of the rotary, as shown inFig. 6, operates on the top face of the valve scat, as shown in Fig. 7,with the concentric recesses in registry so that annular concentricpassages ,Y of the graduating ,rot-ary.

d 91 does not open are formed ,by the valve seat and rotary. 65

By means of this construction the two members may be moved relative toone another tov any extent without changing the fluid pressureconnections to any of the ports opening into the pose which will be moreclear hereinafter. The main rotary has in addition to thev main circularbody portion containing the recesses 63, 64 and 65, three segmentalraised.

faces 66, G7, 68 and an annular hub face 69,' 75

said segmental faces containing four ports, a `cavity and a number ofcooperating passages, as follows:

A. port 70 communicating with a hori zontal passage 71 which opens intothe con 80 centric recess 64 that registers with the recess 56 in thevvalve seat having the port 59 s therein leading to the cylinder; a portay passage 73 recess 63 that registers with the correspondl ing recess55 in the the port 58 leading to the left-hand end of the cylinder; athrough port 74 communi.- eating with the annular recess 65 isters withthe corrcspondingrecess 57.111

the right-hand end of '72 communicating With the valve seat having thelock port'therein; an. exhaust port 75 communicating through thepassage` 7G With a vertical recess 'T7-in the hub of the rotary that inturn S5l communicates with an annular recess 78 on vthe outer peripheryof the hub where it lits within the valve seat, as shown in Fig. 3, andwhich annular recess is 1n communication with the exhaust port 79. Themain 10b rotary also has a recess or cavity 80 in thetop face of thesegment 67 .tor a purpose hereinafter: described and it has a centralopening 81 to accommodate the hub 'or stem The graduating rotary isshownjin Fig. 5

and comprises a substantially' rectangular member arranged to rotatedabout a-centrol axis. lt has faces .for engaging the faces ce, 57-, cs:ma 69 of the, main rotary, 11ovv and ports and passages cooperatingwith the main mta-ry, asfollows: An exhaustport adapted to 7 0 or 79.lciuliug tothe two ends cylinder, 83 opening into the passage 8l throughthe hollow stem of the graduating rotary whichpassage communica-tes withthe atmosphere of the power through the openings 85 and 8G, shown incommunicating by n 1720 Fig. 3,; a recess 87 passage 88 with a recess 89which is adapted to register with the lock port 7 4 of the main rotary,and a. recess 90 communicating by a passage 91 with the recess S7. Thepassage and 90.

The main-rotary Works on top of the valve annular recesses, for a pur-70 which opens into the annular 85 valve seat which has which reg- '90register with either of the ports.' y

and communicating with a. passage y to either side of 4the valve=125vmember, but simply connects recesses 87 vvalve chamber and seat and thegraduating rotary on top 01"' the main rotary, as hereinhelore explainedand as shown in Fig. 3, there being luid pressure on top of bothrotaries tending to hold them in position and furnishing motive fluidthrough any port that may be exposed in the valve cavity 4:2. llhevalvular mechanism has three positions, as follows:

I. Neutral position.

This position is shown in Fig. 8. The.

narrow portion of the graduating rotary containing the exhaust 'port 82is positioned between the two ports and 7 2 of the main rotary so vthatthese ports are exposed inthe motive fluid flows through them to bothends or the cylinder. Both ends of the cylinder are thus incommunication with each other and with the motive fluid supply. Theexhaust recess 8:2 .in the graduating rotary is blanked by the blanksurface of the face 6G so'that there is no communication to exhaustthrough said port. One. edge or' the recess 80 in the main rotary isexposed, thereby permitting motive fluid to flow through said recessunder the gra dilutingl rotary and up through recess 8T' and throughpassage S8, recess 89 and port 74e to the annular recess 5T in theAvalve seat and thence to the lock. Motive Huid is thus also supplied tothe lock to keep the lock aplied. The exhaust port 75 is blanked by thefaceof the graduating rotary. 1

2. pera-tine posit-0a. v

This position which is the position -for operating the inotor in one.direetionis shown in Fig. 9. The graduating rotary has been moved in aclockwise direction from the posit-ion shown in Fig. 9, therebyconnecting the.

port 72 with the recess S2 leading to the eX- haust and accordineflexhausting one end of" the cylinder. The port 70 remains in comeniunieation with thev valve chamber flband` i'notive Huid continues tobe supplied to the other end of the cylinder. lThe interlocking.

connection 'between the means for actuating the main rotary' and thegraduating rotary, namely, the cooperating pins 53 and 5 4, prevent thegraduating rotary being moved beyond a certain position relative.l tothe main -iotary, such as shown in Fig. x9. The lock port-Tlf. in themain rotary continues to he in communication with the ree-ess in thegraduating rotary and communicates therethrough and through the passage88 with the recess 87 which new registers With the eX haust. tion or thevalve iii-embers, the lock is eX- hausted. ii the movement of thegraduating rotary from neutral position, such as shown in Fig. 8, to theoperative position of Fig. 9, the ports and recesses are timed so thatthe recess 87 communicates with the eXf` port 75.' Consequently, in thisposihaust port Tfslightly before the port T2 is connected to exhaust soas tounlock thc lock just an 'instant before one side ot the power Thisposition corresponds in functional T he general operation of the reversegear With the reverse -gear atrest, the valve members-occupy the neutralposition shown in Fig. 8 and both ends of the motor are in communicationwith each other and With the motive fluid supply, and motive fluid isalso `supplied to the lock. .The reversing rod is thus not only firmlylocked in posi- .tion by thelliiid pressure. applied friction lock, butby reason oi the ,lart that both sides ot the cylinder are inconmnmication with each other. any leaks in the system 'alffect both'sides of the motor equally so that there/can be no torce tending tomove the i gear. The handle for controlling the valve is latched inposition and consequently the entire mechanism is firmly and rigidlyheld in position' and .rendered inert and Aproof against Jundesiredmovement.

W'lien it 1s' `desired to actu-ate the reverse geaujthe operator graspsthe' handle 36. presses the thumb latch 37 and moves the handleineitherdirection, depending upon Which" direction it is desired to movethereverse gear. The handle may be freely moved until the pin 53 engagesthe pin 54. During this movement the valvular mechanism is aetuated'toexhaust motive fluid from the lock tounlock the reverse gear and immeldiately disconnect one side of the motor nfrom the other-and from themotive uid supply and exhaust it so that the reverse gear starts tonieve in. a. direction correspending to the direction of movement ci?Slo the handle. Movenient of there-verse gear is transmittedthrough'the. rod to the gear 48 carrying the pin 54 and consequently thegear 48 carrying -pin 54C moves inthe same direction as the handle. Allthese operations take place instantaneously. thereby perniitting thehandle to be moved in the desired direction by a substantiallycontinuous movement. Y y

Theinterlocking connections between the hand and the main rotary whichoperates in graduating rotary. which is controlled by tion to maintainboth synchrrmisin with the reverse gear serve two fnl. `tunrtions1first, over-travel or' the grrarlilll'ing rotar!)p relative toltl'iemain 1'0- tary is prevented, and seconohiin case the operator is unableto move the handle farther than a limited distance, he is inlineiliateiynotified that something` is wrong; viti lV reverse gear.

:un the gear has been set into operation as above described, itcontinues to move, until the main rotary is returned to its originalposition. relative to the gaduating rotary, .rhereimon the end et thecylinder which has heen exlnxnsted again connected o the motive fluidsupply and with the other enrl ol the cylinder and luid pressure isadfal to the lock. The gear is thus autoicallv stopped and -loclied inposition. i i addition lo the advantages in the operation ot 'thereverse rear and out the lock as hereinbe'mfc pointed out, the gear iscon- ,f-:tructed so that it may he refuiily applied to a lm'omotive andoperal'ed from the cab, hut no bulky nmixnrism need be located in il' acalin ".lfl'in power c; linder, loclr and rev( te( rod cfnis'itute ailnit which may be located either under the cab or forwardly on the.engine; the valvular mechanism constitutes afsecond unit which ispreferably located be ath `the cab and the controllingl maf-msconstitutes a third unit ot small size wliiela can be locatml in the cabtor controlling the gear.

llt is to loe understood that the structure shoivnuis .tor purposes ot'illustration only and that other structures may be devised iin thespirit and scope of l 'ended claims,

nlain'icd is: 'over reverse gear, comprising a Ussure n'iotm'ry areversing` rod-operaterl tnerehy, a fluid pressure applied lock torlookin;T `said rod, a rotary valvular mechanism 'ror controlling' themotive liuid to and from said n'iotor and said lock. said nieclnuvtinnbeing" arranged in neutral posiof the motor in communication wi th eachother and with the motiv/e rluirl supply and to admit motive luid 'tothe lock, and, when actuated, to eXM l'must n'xotive fluid from the`lock and discon :t me side of the motor from the other and i' om themotive fluid supply and eX- hausl' it, and connections includingr arack' liar engaging a valvl'ilar nieclnu'iism 'for automaticallyreturri'fngg the valvnlaii i'neclninisu'i to neutral on otter thereversing rod has moved required extent. il .fl power reverse gear forlocomotives, arising a noiver cylin ,ler, a reversing rod a fluidpressure lool; for l, valvular :neolnniism for gear connected to therotary 'nisni for controlling the motive fluid to `and from the cylinderand the lock, said valvular mechanism beingl located. substantially inline with thepower cylinder, a member mechanically connected toreciprocate in a straight line with the reversingrod and operativelyconnected to the rota-ry valvular mechanism for auton'laticallyreturning the latter to neutral position after the rod has moved therequired eXtent, and manually operable means for actuating the valvularmechanism.

.il power reverse comprising a power cylinder, a reversing` rofloperated thereby, a fluid pressure lock for locking said rod, saidelements constituting a unit arranged to be mounted on a locomoA tive tooperate the valve links thereof, valvular mechanism for controllingr themotive fluid to audylrom the cylinder and the lock, said valvularmechanism being` located substantially :in line with the power cylinder,a member mechanically connected to reciprocate in a straight line withthe reversing rod and operatively connecte-"l to the valvular mechanismfor antonaticall.r retuming the latter to neutral position after the rodhas moved the required extent, said valvular mechanism and theconnectionsl being arranged 'to be located outside ot' the locomotiveeab, and manually operable means arranged to be located 'in thelocomotive cab for actuating` the valvular mechanism.

A power reverse gear, comprising* a Huid pressure motor, a reversing rodoperated thereby, a fluid pressure friction lock tor locking said rod,means for automatically adjusting' the said lock to maintain itsgripping action uniformly, and valvular i'ncchanisin for controlling,`the flow of motive Huid to and from said motor and lock.

6. A. power reverse gear, comprising,r a fluid pressure motor, areversing rod operated thereby, a fluid pressure applied Jfriction lockfor looking said rod,`ineans for antormuzieally adjust-ing said lock toeornnenf sate 'tor wear, and. valvular mechanissn for controlling themotive fluid to and from said motor and lock.

gear for locomotives,

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. a Scew on ze. pvo ed leves? to ,1 leve; inta e 1;'1\,gement with theE@ yogi, zugang cempispg a spring norH msm the scw nto e* @agementabutment, 'is adjust iclim 3 'v ve? @"Hlpns for Wear? mld fr mechzw'ezmfol* comfolng the m0- "o and from the, GyLder e WQ, hav@ bewut@

